Waveguide gas lasers excited by means of a transverse discharge at rf frequencies generally in the vhf-uhf range are disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 869,542, filed Jan. 16, 1978, by K. D. Laakmann, entitled "Waveguide Gas Lasers With High Frequency Transverse Discharge Excitation", and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
In a paper by J. L. Lachambre et al, "A Transversely RF-Excited CO.sub.2 Waveguide Laser", Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 32, No. 10 (May 15, 1978), pages 652-653, a laser of the foregoing type is disclosed which was operated in an rf pulse mode by applying 100 .mu.sec. duration bursts of rf excitation to the laser. Multi-line laser output pulses were obtained of a maximum peak power of around 13 watts and a minimum duration of about 20 .mu.sec.